Fizik Tempo Overcurve R4 Review

We spent a lot of time out on the road in the Tempo Overcurve R4. It is a great, general-purpose shoe for the average rider who is looking to put in some work towards improving their times but isn't necessarily competing.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Overcurve R4 provides a comfortable fit with one glaring problem: the cable guide placement can cause pain on the big toe knuckle. Additionally, it uses only a small bit of perfunctory padding around the heel collar to prevent discomfort and limit heel movement. It's as comfortable as it needs to be, but it doesn't compare to other top-end cycling shoes in this regard.

The polyurethane-laminated mesh upper can be a bit stiff, and you might feel it crunch around your toes from time to time. This was the most noticeable while straining, but otherwise, it's not a serious problem. The area that Fizik should really address is where the tongue meets your ankle. As you flex forward to crank up hills, the tongue seriously grinds against your extensor tendons, especially if the fastener is locked down. We discovered that we could relieve this pressure by moving the inside edge of the tongue out onto the upper instead of it lying against your foot. Of course, this is not how the shoe was designed, and this problem continued to annoy us on hill climbs.

Another issue that aggravated our testers is with the forwardmost cable guide on the inside of the shoe. Cinched down, the hard plastic cable guide dug into the metatarsals of our big and second toes, causing discomfort and even pain on short rides. If your foot is shaped in such a way that this piece doesn't sit right over these bones, then this will likely be a much more comfortable shoe than it was for our test team. The toe box is also designed with a bit more room which better accommodates folks with wider or higher-volume feet – our testers had to lock down the cables to prevent forefoot movement, which led to the issues described above.

Many shoes, especially at the low end, will include another fastener for the toes, even if it's just a hook-and-loop strap. The R4 only uses a single wire to link the whole upper together across its six anchors, and this single-dial BOA system limits adjustability for different parts of your foot. Even though the placement of the anchors and lack of adjustment proved problematic for our testers, Fizik actually did a pretty good job with this design. It does a solid job of locking in your foot, and the simplicity of the system helps lower the price point, which we certainly appreciate.

Power Transfer

Fizik bestows the Overcurve R4 with a stiffness rating of '7'. What does that mean? Unfortunately, Fizik doesn't say. We know that power transfer is largely determined by the stiffness of the sole, so we developed a test to put specific numbers to sole stiffness to better compare shoes in our lineup.

We bolted the shoe onto a jig using the cleat mount hardware, inserted a 3D-printed heel block into the shoe, and clamped a U-bolt over the heel block and outsole. We then hung a 25-pound weight from the U-bolt to simulate the force applied during a hard effort. Using a linear deflection gauge, we could measure the flexion of each shoe, and averaged the results from multiple tests to define a deflection value.

The carbon-reinforced sole on the Overcurve R4 deflected 4.01 millimeters, which is stiffer than other shoes we tested in this same price range. Similarly priced shoes tended to deflect 7 millimeters or more, and only the top-level shoes deflected less. Although we have some issues with the fit of the upper, this still sole goes a long way to improve the power transfer of the Overcurve R4.

Recent design trends have moved cleats closer to the middle of the foot as studies have shown better power transfer from the midfoot. To that end, Fizik moved the cleat platform back a bit on the Overcurve R4, citing improved efficiency, particularly for aggressive forward or aero riding. Our only complaint is that, depending on the geometry of your bike and crank length, the extended toe of your shoe is liable to make hard contact with your front tire on hard turns. This is a surprising discovery at any speed – hopefully, noting this possibility helps you avoid any potential issues.

Durability

The tough PU-mesh upper will endure a good deal of scraping and scuffing, but we wish that some of the high-wear areas included a little extra protection. For example, the toe could be beefed up with a full-wrap bumper, which would be particularly nice for clipping into right-set pedals.

There is a little bit of buttressing that we expect will help extend the life of the shoe. The PU-mesh over the toes is a bit harder than the rest of the upper, and the tip of the toes features a rough abrasion pad. This same abrasion pad beefs up the heel pad, which, unfortunately, is not replaceable. While the lack of replaceable components inevitably puts an expiration date on these shoes, we still expect the Overcurve R4 to last many riding seasons.

Weight

The Overcurve R4 weighs 17.85 ounces per pair (506 grams per pair, or 253 grams per shoe) for an EU size 42.5. The upper, made from polyurethane-laminated mesh, is lean and stiff with minimal padding, so it doesn't add much to the scale.

Given the stripped-down upper, the sole is mainly the difference in weight between the Overcurve R4 and other premium models we tested. The outsole is mostly nylon, with a 15% injection of carbon fiber. Compared to fully nylon soles, this reduces weight while improving strength and rigidity. Given the price point, this blend strikes a nice balance between weight and performance.

Should You Buy the Fizik Tempo Overcurve R4?

The Overcurve R4 is perfect for any rider looking for a stylish shoe whose performance won't hold them back on the fast group ride but who doesn't necessarily want to shell out for a top-level shoe. Its stiff sole and form-fitting upper make it a high performer – as long as it fits your foot well.

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